Diaries of a Farm Girl
by olivia222
Summary: A desolate town, a neglected family farm, and a Harvest Goddess in need of help. All these and more await Olivia in Echo Village. She must learn to balance her life of raising crops and animals with her heavenly mission to revive the land's magic. The only question is, how?
1. Prologue: The Letter

**Author's Note: My first fan fiction, hope you will enjoy! I do plan on using a lot of diary entries, letters, newspaper articles etc. to tell the story, but also a lot of third person POVs (for instance chapter three), especially later on in the story. Olivia is actually the MC (Rachel/Rio) if you couldn't tell, but I changed her name. I always love feedback on what people think, so please don't hesitate to give me some constructive criticism or tips you think will improve the story. Enjoy~**

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Prologue: The Letter

Dear Dunhill,

I am writing this letter to inform you (with great excitement) that my daughter, Olivia, has agreed to take over the family farm. I cannot express in words how happy I am that my poor farm will finally be revived! I only have one fear: Olivia hasn't been on the farm since she was a baby. I doubt she will have any idea what to do or where to start. This is why I need you, Dunhill. Please help my daughter. She will be arriving on the 1st of Spring, you'll know her when you see her. I know that if anyone can help Olivia acclimate to farm life, it is you.

Your friend, [Olivia's dad]


	2. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Part 1: The Season of Beginnings

Spring 1, 22:03 (10:03 pm) Dear Diary,

What a day! I've never been so exhausted in my entire life – or so excited! I have finally made to Meadow Farm, and it hasn't changed a bit since I was last here… Well, maybe a little. But I'll get to that later.

I arrived in the mountainside of Echo Village early in the morning, dropped off by some friends of my father. The scenery was BEAUTIFUL! You don't get such vibrant flowers or such green grass in the city. There were bright patches of pink and purple daises all along the path to the village, so I stopped to pick some as a little housewarming gift for myself. Out of nowhere, I see this old man, maybe in his fifties, dressed like a cowboy, stumbling out of the woods. He could barely stand, and I heard him whisper, "Uhhh… help…!" before passing out.

I didn't know what to do! I just stood there panicking over this old man's body, not sure if I should leave him to get help or drag him back to town (mind you, he was quite heavy). As a last resort, I gave him some water from my rucksack, and stood back, hoping it would revive him. To my amazement, and relief, he opened his eyes, got up from the ground and dusted himself off like nothing had happened. He must've noticed my shock at his recovery, and he gave me a sly smile.

"Sorry about that, must've keeled over in the heat. I was just searching for food and… hey, wait a minute! You wouldn't happen to be Olivia?"

I was surprised, to say the least. Not able to speak, I nodded.

"Ah, excellent! I thought I could see some family resemblance! Say, didn't your ol' dad tell ya 'bout me? Oh, how silly, I haven't even said my name! I'm Dunhill, Mayor of Echo Village and temporary newspaper delivery man at your service. You're dad sent me a letter telling me all about you." He gave a little nod of his big, brown cowboy hat.

Finally gathering my thoughts together, I remember Dad mentioning him to me before I had left. "Oh yes, Dad told me about you! Nice to meet you Mr. Dunhill!"

"Please, I will not allow such fancy titles of Mr. or Mayor, I was born Dunhill and that's how it will always be! Now, why don't you follow me and I'll take you to town."

And with that, we made our way to the village. We talked about how Dad was doing, how excited he was to welcome me to his town and how someone was finally going to bring the farm back to life. I asked him why no one had taken over the farm after Dad left.

"Well, you know how your daddy is. He bought that farm on a gut feeling that he could whip it into shape, but then things got in the way and he had to leave. He still came back from time to time to work the land, but now that your all big and grown, he can pass it down to you!"

"What things got in the way?" I could tell he was uncomfortable, and suddenly it hit me. "Oh, I get it, I made him abandon his farm…"

"Now hold on a darn second, that's not true! He would've been happy to raise you up on the farm, but when you were born, your momma's family threw a fit and demanded that the pair of them got married right away. After marrying your mom, your poppa had to get a job to support the two of you, and farming just wasn't going to cut it. And then…" He got quiet.

"My mother died."

Dunhill sighed and took off his hat in reminiscence. "She was a good woman. I met her a handful of times, always a pleasure to see her. No matter what happened she was a wreath of smiles, to the very end… And we're here!"

Now, Dad had told me Echo village wasn't what it use to be, but the only way I can describe it is "ghost town". There were several buildings, some of which seemed empty, and the streets were vacant. I tried to see if there were some houses blocked from my view, but no, what I saw was what I got.

Dunhill saw me searching for more. "Now, I know this isn't as fancy as any big city but…"

"No! I mean, this is perfect! I love it Dunhill, really I do. True, it's a little small, but I didn't expect, nor do I want, some fancy city. I want a nice, peaceful town, and that's exactly what I see." The words worked their magic, and Dunhill gave me a big goofy smile.

"Aw shucks…"

And after that, he walked me to my farm a little up the hill. He promised to show me around town tomorrow, and teach me some of the basics of farming. He also gave me this diary, and told me I should write in my adventures before I go to sleep and forget them.

And now, I'm home! It's nice, really it truly is. It's not like the small gardens I'm so use to in the city, it's a huge lot with grass and trees and lots of room for farming! And there's a barn for cows and sheeps and other animals I guess. The house is nice, there's a kitchen and a wardrobe and a bookshelf FULL of books already. I've got a calendar with the town's festivals and my bed is really nice. Maybe it's just the excitement from the day, but I have these butterflies in my stomach that won't disappear. That must be my queue to head to bed, I feel confident that I'll get a full night's sleep.

Goodnight!

\- Olivia

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Dear [Olivia's father],

How refreshing it was to meet your daughter after nearl 20 years! I nearly couldn't believe my eyes! And she looks just like yer late wife, the same genteelness about her. She's in safe hands so there is no need to worry; she loved the farm! I never seen someone so excited about a piece of land ('cept maybe you when you first bought it).

I am quite confident that she'll get on fine here. You know how it is these days, no one wants to stay here anymore, people are leaving the town in flocks! But I know that yer lovely, hard-working daughter can breathe some life back into this ol' town. I taught her how to use the basic tools, and she's already planted some crops. One of the old townsfolk, Rebecca's her name, sent me a letter telling me she wants to move back. That's all fine and dandy, but she doesn't have a house. I plan on enlisting Olivia to help me build her a house, just to see if she has a knack for this kinda o' thing.

I'll update you later on how she's getting on, but I'm sure she's sending you letters too! Tell me how've ya been? Maybe I could tempt you out for a visit if yer feeling up to it?

-Dunhill


	3. Chapter 2: Sweet Dreams?

**Author's Note: Hi! Thank you for reading this far! This is my first chapter in third person, I hope you will enjoy it. O always love to hear feedback btw, so don't hesitate to tell me how you think I can improve the story. Enjoy~**

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There was a clearing in the forest, illuminated by the moonlight. Surrounding the trees were eight tree stumps, and standing in front of them were what looked like two little people, no bigger than a baby. One was wearing a purple dress and hat, a cute little girl with short green hair. Next to her was a little boy with a red hat and shirt and the same green hair and eyes as the girl.

"Oh no, oh no! Not again, how could you let this happen, Aaron! Can I not trust you with anything," exclaimed the little purple girl.

"You trust me with _everything_ ," Aaron muttered to himself.

"Did you say something? I sure hate it when you mumble, SPEAK UP IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME!"

"Alice, quiet down! You'll wake up the whole village! Listen, I saw a farmer a couple of days ago and-"

"A farmer?! In Echo Village?" Alice wore an expression of shock that turned quickly to disbelief.

"Yes, sister, now please, keep your voice down and let me finish! As I was saying, I saw a farmer help Mayor Dunhill a couple of days ago and I was thinking, maybe she could help the Goddess?"

"Hmmmm, well now I don't know if SHE could help the Goddess, but I could certainly help the Goddess by passing on this information to her!"

"Now wait Sis-"

"I think I'll go and tell her right now! Later, Aaron!"

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Spring 10, 3:03 (am) Dear Diary,

I just had the STRANGEST dream, and I wanted to write it all down before I forgot it. There were these two little people - and I mean LITTLE, I think they were brother and sister, and their names... I've already forgotten! They were in a forest, and they were arguing about something, I think they mentioned Echo Village... and a Goddess?! Maybe I'm working myself too hard, I don't know, but it was SO VIVID, like it was really happening.

Someone's knocking at the door, at three in the morning? Well, there aren't too many people in town, I can only guess it's Emma? She's in charge of shipments in town. It could also be Hana (she runs the general store) or maybe even Dunhill. They're knocking again, should I open it?

Spring 10, 3:59 (am) Dear Diary,

I have so much to tell you! I stopped writing because I went to open the door (against my better judgement, I know, but I couldn't stop thinking that maybe Dunhill or Hana had an accident and needed help) and I couldn't believe my eyes! I thought I was still dreaming! I didn't see him at first, but standing in my doorway was that little red elf from my dream, the one I just wrote about! There he stood, at three in the morning, in his matching hat and shirt with his green eyes staring up at me.

"Hiya, Olivia! My name is Aaron!"

"...Wha?" I know, not the most polite response, but it was THREE IN THE MORNING, and my mind couldn't quite comprehend what I was seeing.

"May I come in?"

"Ummm... okay?"

"Thank you!" He skipped right past me and into my home. Normally, I wouldn't let strange men (if you could call him a man) into my home early in the morning, but in this case, I think he was an exception.

"Now where should I start? Well, I guess I should tell you, I'm a harvest sprite. I have a sister name Alice, and we live in the forests near Echo Village. I actually saw you the other day when you first arrived, and you stopped to help Dunhill? I would've came over to help myself, but at the time you couldn't see me."

I'm sure I looked like a complete dunce, my jaw wide open and my eyes real big. I stood there and nodded politely at everything he said.

"Wouldn't you like to know why you can see me?"

"Oh, yeah I would."

"Well, you see, you know that pond in the village? The really pretty one that is rumored to be the dwelling of the Harvest Goddess? It's true, Alice and I serve her and help her with her heavenly duties. My sis just went and told the Goddess about you, so she gave you and your farm her blessing. Isn't that fantastic! Now you can see us and your crops will grow extra good!"

"Wow, now hold on a sec. That was really nice of your sister to tell this Harvest Goddess about me, but why'd she do it?"

"Actually, the thing is we, I mean the Goddess needs your help. I'll explain it all later when you come to the Harvest Goddess' pond at 18:00. Oh, and bring one of your best crops if you could. It was really nice meeting you, see ya later!"

"Hey, wait-" It was too late, he had already poofed away.

I guess the only way to know if what happened was true or not is to head to this pond later today, yes? I'll tell you how it goes later! Now, I need some sleep.

\- Olivia


	4. Chapter 3: Goddess

**Author's Note: Hi! Thank you so much to everyone who has given time to read this story! I haven't gotten much criticism, so I'll take that as a good thing. Again, I can't stress how much I appreciate it if you would take the time to tell me what you like/dislike and how I could improve. This chapter was pretty lengthy, so I had to cut it in half. I'll post the other part later. Hope you enjoy!**

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It was 18:00 exactly when Olivia set out on her trip to the Harvest Goddess' pond. Dunhill had mentioned it in passing when he first showed the town to her, but this would be the first time she actually gets to see it herself. Of course, she wasn't going simply for leisure, but to prove to herself that her "visitor" from this morning was nothing more than a dream.

The pond was located on the right side of town, just across two bridges. It was hard to miss, what with the breath-taking waterfall shimmering in the setting sun's light, gentle spraying a fine mist into the air that gave it the sweet flavor of spring. Olivia breathed it in as she gazed upon the crystal clear water of the pond, and wondering to herself, "Does a goddess really live in there?" The idea seemed ridiculous enough, but the thought had dug away at her mind all day, and a little piece of herself hoped that it was true.

She stood in front of the pond and looked around for the little green-haired people. She kneeled down and looked behind rocks in case they were hiding from her. After a couple of minute of searching, she heard a sharp cough from behind her.

"Are you looking for us?" It was a steely voice, much too cold for that of an elf, but as Olivia turned her head around she saw the source was a little harvest sprite in purple attire.

"Yes, I was! You must be Alice; it's a pleasure to-"

"Do you realize that you are fifteen minutes late?"

" Huh? Oh, well I… wait a second, I was here before you!"

"Actually Olivia," Aaron stepped out from behind his sister, "We were here at 18:00, but since you hadn't come yet, we thought you forgot. So we teleported to your house, only to realize you had just left."

"Oh. I guess I did leave a little late, sorry about that… but I'm here now! And I brought this," Olivia reached into her bag and pulled out what looked a rather squashed turnip. "This is the first crop I grew on my farm. It got a little smashed in my rucksack, but I'm sure it still tastes great!"

Alice wore an expression of disgust. "You're offering _that_ to the Harvest Goddess?! You realize she is a _goddess_ , right? From the heavenly realm! I'm not even sure that classifies as a vegetable anymore! Lucky for you," She rolled over a nice, fresh turnip she had been hiding behind a log, "I took the liberty of bringing this along with me."

"I think the sentiment behind Olivia's offering is sweet, and besides that, Goddess _specifically_ asked for one of Olivia's veggies." Aaron smiled at Olivia and grabbed the mangled vegetable from her hands. "If you ever need to talk to the Goddess, simply bring her an offering and…" He tossed the vegetable into the pond.

Only seconds after Aaron threw in their offering, a blinding flash of white light filled Olivia's eyes. The light went as quickly as it came, and floating in front of the three was a beautiful woman, holding the turnip in her hand. Her ravishing violet hair was being tossed playfully by the wind, whisking it in front of her stunning eyes of a color Olivia hadn't seen before. Her smile was as dazzling as the waterfall behind her, and she wore a snow white gown that revealed her midriff and accentuated her hour glass shape. Olivia blushed when she realized how _common_ she must look in her muddy overalls with her plain brown hair falling out her ponytail and sticking to her sweaty face. But the feeling immediately left when the Goddess took her hands and placed them against her chest, filling her instead with only happy and hopeful thoughts. Everything seemed a bit brighter.

"Dear Olivia, how excited I have been since Alice told me of your arrival! Thank you for your lovely offering, turnip is my absolute favorite! I can feel the love emanating from it; you must have gone through a lot of work to grow such a fine specimen."

"That's exactly what I told her, Goddess!" Alice interjected. "Of course, she was worried about the aesthetic of the vegetable, but I told her that's not important, it's about the love and the senta… sentoo… what was the word I used, Aaron?"

Aaron sighed. "You mean sentiment?"

"Yes, that's it!"

The Goddess gave a breathy laugh, and turned back to Olivia. "My friend, I know you must be tired. Come here and drink this." She conjured a cup from the air and filled it with the waterfall.

"Thank you, I am a bit tired. My body isn't quite used to the farm life and," She put the cup to her lips and took a quick gulp. She instantly broke out into a smile and seemed to glow with energy. "WOW! I feel so energized, like I could harvest a whole field of crops without breaking a sweat!"

Goddess smiled at her. "That would be the power embedded in this water. The waterfall you see behind me is teeming with energy. You may come here and drink from in anytime you like. But," She looked at Olivia cautiously as she quickly drained the goblet and reached out for more, "I think we will restrict it to one glass a day. Too much might damage a human, you are quite fragile."

Olivia looked disappointed as the cup vanished from her hands, but her attention turned right back to the Harvest Goddess. "So… why did you exactly did you want to meet _me_?" The way she said the last word made the Goddess cringe.

"Don't think yourself so worthless, you mean a great deal to me and a lot of people. Also, you are invaluable in the plan to restore this desolate land. Olivia, I know we have just met, but I have a favor to ask of you, and I am afraid it is quite the favor."

"Anything, ask me to do anything and I will do it gladly!" She didn't know why, but with all her heart she wanted to please the Goddess, to impress her and live up to the high opinion she already held of her.

"Well, it's not as easy as you think. To put it simply, I'm dying."


End file.
